Spike Lee, who attacked Clint Eastwood's vision of World War II, trained his fire on another Hollywood icon as Lee unveiled his own version of the conflict.
"It is not a mistake that this film begins with a clip of John Wayne from 'The Longest Day,' " the controversial New York filmmaker says of his new movie, "Miracle at St. Anna," starring Derek Luke, which premiered over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival to mixed reviews.
"This is the Hollywood bulls - - - mythology that excludes plenty of people," Lee said of Duke's war movies.
"You look at John Wayne. What does John Wayne represent? In a World War II film John Wayne is kicking Nazi ass, in the Pacific he's kicking Japanese ass, and in the Western he's killing the savage Indians."
Lee calls his nearly three-hour film, which follows a quartet of black soldiers from the 92nd Division - called the Buffalo Soldiers - during a crucial battle in Tuscany, Italy, "a rebuttal to the same Hollywood bulls - - - mythology that demeans other people."
This spring at the Cannes Film Festival, Lee blasted Eastwood's World War II epic "Flags of Our Fathers" for not depicting the contributions of black soldiers in the Pacific campaign. Lee has reportedly called a cease-fire on Eastwood at the request of Disney, which is distributing "Miracle at St. Anna" - financed largely by Italians after Hollywood took a pass - in the US, with a Sept. 26 release.
"I really do believe in miracles now," Lee jokes, referring to his backers.
Returning to the subject of black soldiers, Lee says, "They have not gotten their due. And now most of them are dead." There are many different stories, he says, and he hopes this film will spark other untold stories about the war.
"That's why this whole thing is tied in with Obama," continues Lee, wearing a white Barack Obama T-shirt.
"Because these guys fought not knowing there will be a black president, but they were hoping someday, someday America would deliver on its promise for life, liberty for all American citizens . . . That's my tirade for the day."
Lee was not the only black American entertainer to evoke the Democratic presidential candidate in Toronto over the weekend. Obama was mentioned by Queen Latifah, who stars as a beekeeper in "The Secret Life of Bees," a coming-of-age movie with Dakota Fanning set during the Civil Rights struggle of the early 1960s that was filmed earlier this year in North Carolina.
"I don't know if we thought we were going to change the world with this movie, but the world was changing while we were making this movie," Latifah says. "Winning North Carolina was pivotal to him getting this Democratic nomination."
"One of the coolest things people have said about this film is it could help get Obama elected," adds director Gina Prince-
Bythewood.
The Democratic candidate's wife even got mentioned at a press conference for "The Duchess," a drama about the style-
setting wife of a 17th century English duke whose life had less happy parallels - including his and her lovers - with her distant relative, Princess Diana.
Keira Knightley, who plays the title role, was asked at a press conference to name a contemporary woman she admires.
"I can't think of anyone! Help!" said the flustered actress as a battery of cameramen clicked away.
Ralph Fiennes, who plays the philandering husband, chivalrously offered up Michelle Obama, "an extraordinary, strong woman."
"Very good one," said the British actress. "Michelle Obama. Wonderful features!" via
